What an interior design agreement should include
An interior project involves a lot of money, many trades and weeks of work. A written agreement protects both sides by recording what was agreed. This is general guidance, not legal advice, so have a professional read anything you sign.
By Noyae. Published .
Scope of work
The agreement should attach or refer to the agreed drawings and the BOQ, so that the scope is a document and not a memory. If a room or item is out of scope, it should say so.
A payment schedule tied to progress
Payments are clearest when they follow stages of progress, such as signing, start of fabrication, installation and handover, rather than calendar dates alone. Each payment should have a receipt.
Timeline, with its limits
A timeline should be written down, and it should say what it depends on. Site readiness, approvals from the building, and decisions on materials all affect the schedule. A timeline that ignores them is a hope, not a plan.
Responsibilities on both sides
- The studio: supervision, fabrication, installation and finishing.
- The client: site access, timely decisions and agreed payments.
- Who is responsible for any permission the building requires.
Changes, and how the project ends
Changes happen. The agreement should say how a change is requested, priced and approved in writing. It should also describe the handover: a walk-through, a snag list, and how remaining items are closed out.
At Noyae, scope, payment schedule and responsibilities are agreed in writing before work starts, and you pay against stages of progress.